Senate Bill 1148 stalled

California Senate Bill 1148 points to how trout hatcheries and fish plants are funded. Opposition to that bill grows, including Inyo and Mono Supervisors and Mono County’s former State Senator Dave Cogdill. In a committee hearing last week, legislators placed the bill on hold. The organization supporting the bill, CalTrout, maintains the new law will not hurt hatcheries.

That bill went before the Assembly Appropriations Committee last Wednesday. Dave Cogdill said it came up late and not all the members were still there. He said there was considerable opposition to the bill, and legislators placed it in the suspension file. Cogdill said when the Legislature reconvenes this week, they will decide which bills to move on to the Assembly floor. He said if SB 1148 remains in suspension, that will effectively kill it this year.

Cogdill was the author of Assembly Bill 7 which speaks to protection of hatchery and trout funding. Earlier, he said the group CalTrout, which partnered with him on AB 7, have “snubbed the partnership” and are attempting to re-write the code with the new bill. Now, Cogdill said, he is working with CalTrout to resolve issues in SB 1148. He said the group has told him they want the same things he wants. He said he’s not sure.

CalTrout Conservation Director, Curtis Knight issued a statement that says SB 1148 will not change the way the Hatcheries and Inland Fisheries Fund receives revenue. He said SB 1148 empowers “Fish and Game to explore creative ways to meet currently unmet production goals.”

Knight said that the new bill would return the earlier plan to hire seven Heritage and Wild Trout positions. Knight further claims that stocking of hatchery fish in put-and-take fisheries “will be improved by SB 1148.” The CalTrout spokesman said the new bill would offer more protection for native trout. Read the entire CalTrout statement on our website.

Dave Cogdill continues to talk with CalTrout, but he said there is another issue that may sink SB 1148. It’s a provision that allows outside parties to file lawsuits in regard to negligent takes and destruction of wildlife protected by state law.

(Complete CalTrout statement)

SB 1148 Legislation Good For Fisheries

By Curtis Knight, Conservation Director, CalTrout

In an article published on last week, it was suggested that CalTrout-supported SB1148 legislation would defund hatcheries, damage the Eastern Sierra’s tourism economy, and negate former Senator Cogdill’s AB 7 legislation.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

CalTrout worked closely with then-Senator Cogdill to pass AB 7 in 2005. That legislation set current hatchery production goals and funded the Heritage and Wild Trout program. Unfortunately the hatchery production goals set forth in AB 7 are not being met and the Heritage and Wild Trout program is still underfunded.

By contrast, SB 1148 supports the hatchery goals set by AB 7 (it looks for a more efficient means of meeting them, including the use of private hatcheries), adequately staff and funds the Heritage and Wild Trout program, and proposes comprehensive management practices for all trout populations.

Here are some key benefits of SB 1148:

1) SB 1148 does not diminish funding for hatcheries.

AB 7 established the Hatcheries and Inland Fisheries Fund (HIFF) which is funded by 33 1/3% of fishing license sales. Typically, this fund is $20-25 million annually, and hatcheries receive over 85% of HIFF funds. SB 1148 will not change this.

What SB 1148 does do is empower DF&G to explore creative ways to meet currently unmet production goals. For example, private hatcheries can help meet production goals at a reasonable cost.

2) SB 1148 would reaffirm AB7’s establishment of the Heritage and Wild Trout program and ensure the hiring of the seven Heritage and Wild Trout positions promised by AB 7.

Originally, AB 7 required the hiring of seven new Heritage and Wild Trout positions, yet within four years of passing these new positions were eliminated. The existing legislative intent of AB 7 is clearly not enough to ensure the sustainability of the Heritage and Wild Trout program. SB 1148 fixes that.

3) SB 1148 tells DF&G to stock fish in areas where they are most needed.

SB 1148 focuses on providing anglers with the best fishing possible, especially in high use areas. In fact, stocking of hatchery fish in put-and-take fisheries will be improved with SB 1148. Where stocking is warranted the Department will have resources to meet angler demand and improve angler satisfaction.

California’s native trout populations need protection too, and SB 1148 helps us protect them — while it looks for better efficiency in the hatchery production process. It proposes the stocking of triploid (sterile) fish wherever possible; triploids grow faster and provide the kind of angling experience sought by the majority of anglers.

SB 1148 is good for fisheries and tourism.

In contrast to what has been alleged, SB 1148 continues to evolve and no longer includes an Independent Hatchery Review Committee, a requirement to mark all hatchery fish, and several other stipulations mentioned in last week’s story.

Simply put, trout get short shrift in Sacramento, and California’s anglers need to stand together to ensure adequate resources are directed to improving the management of hatchery trout and wild trout.

SB 1148 is important because it reminds Sacramento of the promises made in AB 7 and reaffirms them; it preserves the percentage of license fees going to hatchery operations and also funds the Heritage and Wild Trout program.

We recognize the importance of trout fishing to the economy of the Eastern Sierra and believe SB 1148 will result in better fishing for all anglers.

About Benett Kessler

Always interested in writing, Benett was the editor of her high school paper, proceeded to the University of Chicago and then out West where she and John Heston formed Eastern Sierra News Service in Inyo County. They fed film to KNXT in Los Angeles and co-wrote and produced the first daily radio news in the Eastern Sierra. Their work ranged from a published news magazine to the first television newscast. They continued to provide videotaped news to KABC and other news outlets. After a seat on the Mammoth Times board and work as newswriter, Benett formed her own company, Sierra Broadcasters and launched an FM radio station, now KSRW and a broadcast television station, KSRW-TV33. The latest addition - Sierrawave.net. Her company motto: Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.

4 Responses to Senate Bill 1148 stalled

I am really confused about this ex-senator Cogdill dude. He was given the Golden Trout Award by Cal Trout in 2006 according to his own list of service awards. Now it seems like he is just figuring out what Cal Trout is really doing with this bill. I was really surprised to hear he was republican. This whole thing sounds really fishy to me.